Lagoon soft-shell crabs caught during their April-May molt, dredged in flour and deep-fried whole. The most prized seasonal Venetian dish.
Where to eat it: 5 restaurants across 1 city.
Moeche are the male lagoon shore crabs caught during the few weeks each spring when they shed their hard shell and grow a new one, leaving them entirely soft-shelled and edible whole. The fishermen of Burano and Chioggia spend April and May watching for the moeca window, which lasts roughly 6 weeks; the crabs are sold the same day at Rialto Pescheria. The canonical preparation soaks the live crabs in beaten egg for 30 minutes (they eat the egg before being killed), then deep-fries them whole. The result is a sweet-fleshed nugget eaten whole, shell and all.
Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten
Tip from the editors. Moeche are seasonal (April-May) and never frozen; outside the window, the dish is not made.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Osteria All'Arco near Rialto in San Polo serves cicchetti at EUR 1.50 to EUR 4 each, the canonical bacari budget meal with francobolli sandwiches and lagoon-fish bites.
Try: Cicchetti at the bar
Tip: Six cicchetti plus two ombre runs roughly EUR 20 to 25 for a full meal. Closes after lunch.
Antiche Carampane in Venice's San Polo is the 1983 family-run seafood trattoria the Rialto fishmongers send friends to, the room with the no-tourist-menu sign on the door.
Signature: Spaghetti with lagoon clams, Fritto misto, Sarde in saor
Order: Spaghetti with vongole, fritto misto della laguna, sarde in saor.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The dining room has 10 tables, so flexibility on date is more useful than time.
Cantina Do Spade in Venice's San Polo near Rialto is one of the city's oldest bacari, mentioned in Casanova's memoirs and now run with a counter of fried lagoon cicchetti.
Try: Cicchetti, fried lagoon fish
Tip: Combines a stand-up bacaro counter with a small dining room. Try the fried moeche when in season (spring) and the polpette al sugo year-round.
Trattoria al Gatto Nero on Burano is the 1965 Bovo family room now run by Massimiliano Bovo, the canonical lagoon-fish lunch on the colourful fishing island.
Signature: Risotto di go, Bigoli with cuttlefish, Mixed grilled fish
Order: Risotto di go, bigoli al nero di seppia, the mixed grilled fish.
Tip: Book two weeks ahead. Ferry 12 from Fondamente Nove takes 45 minutes. Closed Mondays.
Why locals love it: Lazzari family trattoria on Calle Stua in Cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Book a week ahead. The wine cellar is the reason; ask Laura Lazzari for pairings.
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